Tag: Amik Robertson

Friendly fire injuries of the Detroit Lions 2024 season

Breaking down the friendly fire injuries of the Detroit Lions 2024 season, and there were quite a few of them

Injury prevention is at the forefront of everybody’s mind especially after the high number of injuries to the Detroit Lions defense in 2024. One actionable way to prevent injuries is to try to limit the number caused by friendly fire – teammates hitting each other.

The main preventable, friendly fire collision occurs when the ballcarrier is already wrapped up and another defender comes crashing in to lay a big hit. Those kinds of hits often end up inadvertently landing big blows to a defensive (and defenseless) teammate. Over the decades of watching football, I have noticed more awareness amongst defensive players of avoiding unnecessary late hits to an already wrapped-up ballcarrier.

There is certainly a lot of gray area when it comes to defining what is an unnecessary hit, so it’s not fair to lay total blame to players for any of the resulting injuries. Things happen fast on the field, and it’s not always clear when a ballcarrier is wrapped up and secured.

The other side of the coin is that players have faced scrutiny and criticism for not rushing into the action when a ballcarrier unexpectedly breaks free. It’s important to realize that avoiding friendly fire can sometimes be unfairly labelled as passivity or a “business decision” on video.

I reviewed the season of injuries to the defense and compiled the injury videos of Lions players colliding with each other. Some of these collisions are simply fluky collisions that I would not put in the category of friendly fire, but the videos are here so you can decide for yourself.

Amik Robertson

Left humerus fracture – Being the last game of the season, he did not miss any future games. Likely he would have missed at least 8 weeks otherwise.

Alex Anzalone

Concussion – Missed one game. A quick, late juke by Baker Mayfield led to this friendly fire collision.

Left forearm fracture – Missed 6 games. On video, you can see that Anzalone did not have the runner wrapped up at all. Branch and Anzalone make contact with the runner almost simultaneously.

Aidan Hutchinson

Left tibia/fibula fracture – Missed rest of season. This collision was due to two players both doing their jobs effectively and getting to the QB. Hutchinson’s spinning leg-whip action ended up hitting Alim McNeill’s leg.

Of note, this same leg-whip action by Hutchinson resulted in McNeill’s MCL sprain the year prior. See my initial Hutchinson injury article for comparison of the two injury videos.

Khalil Dorsey

Right lower leg/ankle fracture – Missed rest of the season. This one looked to just be bad luck as the two Lions were trying to run past each other and collided legs.

Terrion Arnold

Right foot contusion – Missed the rest of the game. Arnold’s foot was landed on here in a fluky way. Fortunately, there was no serious injury.

Carlton Davis

Cleat to the head – A fluky cleat to a helmetless head caused Davis to miss the rest of the game. Peculiarly, two months later, Davis suffered a jaw fracture that was completely unrelated to friendly fire.

Outlook of injured Detroit Lions heading into 2025 season

Outlook of injured Detroit Lions heading into 2025 season, including Alim McNeill, Malcolm Rodriguez, Amik Robertson and more

A disappointing end to the Lions 2024 season was in large part due to the inability of the defense to make stops. The list of defensive players missing by the end of the season was long. Unfortunately, not all will be ready for the start of next season.

Here is the outlook of the players who were not playing at the end of the year due to injury. Their contract status is included, and as you can see, many of these players are unrestricted free agents who may not be back with the Lions next season regardless of health status.

Last year, the Lions started OTA (organized team activities) on April 15. Training camp started on July 27.

The new NFL season starts on September 4, 2025 with the Super Bowl champs hosting. The Lions could be playing on that date if the Eagles, Commanders, or Chiefs win the Super Bowl since the Lions have road games with all those teams.

Players who may not be ready for game one

Alim McNeill – Right ACL, December 15 (Signed through 2028 season)

-ACL’s usually recover around 10-11 months. Hope to see McNeill playing around November.

Malcolm Rodriguez – Right ACL, November 28 (Entering final year of rookie contract)

-Hope to see Rodriguez playing around October.

Signed players who should be ready by training camp

Aidan Hutchinson – Left tib/fib fracture, October 13 (Entering 4th year of rookie deal with 5th-year option.)

-Hutchinson, who was targeting a limited participation in the Super Bowl, should be ready to participate at least in a limited fashion for OTA.

Amik Robertson – Left humerus fracture, January 18 (Entering final year of 2-year contract)

-Early reports suggest that Robertson will likely be ready for OTA.

Mekhi Wingo – Right knee, Nov 28 (Entering 2nd year of 4-year rookie contract)

-The diagnosis is unknown. Assuming it’s not an ACL, there is a good chance Wingo is ready for the start of training camp if not much earlier.

Ennis Rakestraw – Hamstring/illness, November 23 (Entering 2nd year of 4-year rookie contract)

-Rakestraw may have been active if the Lions advanced to the conference championship, so he should be full-go for all offseason activities.

Unrestricted free agents who should be ready by training camp

Carlton Davis – Jaw fracture, December 15

Kevin Zeitler – Right hamstring, January 5

Marcus Davenport – Left elbow, September 22

Derrick Barnes – Right MCL/PCL with surgery, September 22

John Cominsky – MCL with surgery, July 30

Ifeatu Melifonwu – Right hamstring strain, January 18

Kyle Peko – Left pec rupture, October 13

Pat O’Connor – Calf, January 5

Khalil Dorsey – Right tib/fib fracture, December 15

Emmanuel Moseley – Illness, January

Exclusive rights free agent who should be ready by training camp

Connor Galvin – Left MCL with surgery, August 8

 

Lions postgame injury report after season-ending loss to Commanders

Lions postgame injury report after season-ending loss to Commanders, with updates on Amik Robertson, Penei Sewell and more

Defensive injuries were a major issue for the Lions this season. Unfortunately, that bad luck continued in the playoff game vs the Commanders.

An early injury to Amik Robertson hurt a secondary that was already missing Carlton Davis. Later on, the loss of Ifeatu Melifonwu forced the Lions deep into the LB depth chart possibly directly contributing to a self-immolating 12-men-on-the-field penalty.

Fortunately, none of these injuries should impact next season.

Here are the injuries I saw during the game along with suspected diagnoses:

Jared Goff – concussion evaluation, 2q 5:19

Goff took a hard blow to his facemask during the pick-6. The helmet shake appeared to absorb much of the force, and his head fortunately did not whiplash into the ground.

There were no obvious signs of concussion on video such as loss of consciousness, ataxia, or dazed appearance. He presumably passed the concussion check on the sideline and returned to the game after missing a few plays.

Penei Sewell – left knee, 2q 7:44

Sewell gets bent over on a flexed knee. He finished the game wearing a left knee brace. Hopefully, this is just a mild patella or quad tendon strain, and there is no joint involvement like cartilage damage.

Assume he’ll get an MRI and hope for no surprises.

Amik Robertson – left humerus fracture, 1q 13:10

A direct blow to the left upper arm resulted in a visible deformity. He was sent to the hospital and has already had surgery for the humerus fracture. The mechanism here was very similar to Alex Anzalone’s fractured forearm where the arm took a direct blow from a teammate and was trapped.

Hopefully, this is an isolated mid-shaft bone fracture that does not involve the elbow or shoulder joint. If there is joint damage, that would prolong recovery.

An early report by Tom Pelissero states that he likely will be ready for OTA’s which hopefully implies no complications such as neurovascular damage or joint damage. He is signed with the Lions through next season.

Ifeatu Melifonwu – right hamstring strain, 3q 6:38

Melifonwu pulled up and reached briefly for the hamstring. He stayed in for another play before leaving the game for good.

He should be ready for OTA’s but likely not with the Lions as he is an unrestricted free agent.

Brian Branch – calf cramps, 3q 5:59 & 1:53

Branch missed a play as he was getting his calf leggings cut off. He appeared to be getting his right calf stretched by a trainer later in the quarter. Likely this was just simple cramps as he finished the game looking fine.

Of note, there have been visible signs at many points during the second half of the year that there may be a chronic/recurrent right leg injury. He was officially listed with a calf injury after week 15.

Jack Campbell – hit to head, 4q 8:18

Campbell took a hard hit to the right side of his head during a tackle. He was down very briefly and appeared to bounce up quickly. He stayed in the game and seemed to be fine. A stinger or concussion are possible. Hope for no delayed concussion symptoms.

Amik Robertson suffered a broken arm, per Dan Campbell

Lions CB Amik Robertson suffered a broken arm, per Dan Campbell

One of the stories of the 2024 season for the Detroit Lions was getting bit hard by the injury bug. They were bit one more time for good measure in their NFC Divisional loss to the Washington Commanders.

Cornerback Amik Robertson left the game early, thinning the Lions’ depth in the secondary even more. Head coach Dan Campbell said after the game Robertson suffered a broken arm and will have surgery Sunday.

 

With Robertson out, Kindle Vildor played in his place. Ultimately, the injuries finally caught up to the Lions, ending their season prematurely after winning 15 games in the regular season.

Robertson had really come into his own after injuries, especially to Carlton Davis caused him to move to the outside. He finished the season with eight passes defended, appearing in all 17 games with four starts during the regular season in his first season with the Lions.

Robertson is due a $4.2 million base salary for 2025 and is set to count $6.4 million against the salary cap. He signed a two-year deal with the Lions in free agency.

Lions lose another starting CB on the 2nd play vs the Commanders

Lions lose another starting CB on the 2nd play vs the Commanders with Amik Robertson leaving with an elbow injury

The NFC Divisional Round matchup against the Washington Commanders did not start out at all as hoped for the Detroit Lions.

After a quick 3-and-out by the Lions offense, Detroit’s defense lost a key starter on the second snap against the Washington offense. Outside cornerback Amik Robertson suffered what looked like a serious elbow injury while making a tackle.

Robertson got hit with some friendly fire by linebacker Jack Campbell, who was hustling in to help on the tackle. No. 21 immediately went down in pain. He left the field with trainers and went straight to the locker room with his left arm immobilized.

The Lions initially listed Robertson as questionable to return. Kindle Vildor took over in his spot. The Lions are already without starter Carlton Davis and top reserves Ennis Rakestraw, Khalil Dorsey and Emmanuel Moseley.

Update: Robertson has been taken to a local hospital for evaluation of his elbow. He’s (obviously) out for the remainder of the game.

Amik Robertson captures the Lions Good Guy Award

Amik Robertson captures the Lions Good Guy Award from the local chapter of the PFWA

Congrats are in order for Lions cornerback Amik Robertson. He was selected as the 2024 winner of the Lions Good Guy Award.

The award is voted upon by local media members of the PFWA. It honors the player who is the most professional and helpful in working with the media throughout the season.

Robertson signed this offseason from the Las Vegas Raiders, quickly proved to be congenial and candid in dealing with media obligations. In recognition of his honor, Robertson will get a painted football and his name will be added to the plaque of winners at the Lions training facility in Allen Park.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DE7kAfsug3F/?img_index=1

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Detroit Lions Podcast: Vikings review, playoff looks and more

Detroit Lions Podcast: Vikings review, playoff looks, potential coaching losses and more from Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon in a solo spot

The latest episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast is a special one. We’re celebrating the Lions’ crushing victory over the Minnesota Vikings to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC postseason, a second straight NFC North title and a bye through to the NFC’s Divisional Round.

This episode is a solo show, recorded on Monday in the aftermath of Sunday’s prime-time win. Among the game topics covered:

  • Aaron Glenn’s master class in coaching
  • Amik Robertson showing why we loved his signing last offseason
  • Alex Anzalone’s triumphant return and how it helped AG
  • Jahmyr Gibbs setting records
  • Ben Johnson adapting and adjusting to a terrible 1st half
  • Special teams mattered a lot, and the Lions dominated them

Who do we expect to see in the postseason after this coming Wild Card weekend? Who do we want to see the Lions play?

There’s also the issue of Johnson and Glenn being prime head coaching candidates for other teams. I dove some into why it’s not likely to be some team-crushing losses if one (or both) do get hired away elsewhere.

As always, the audio-only version of the show is available from your favorite podcast provider.

Detroit Lions defense shines when it matters most against the Vikings

Detroit Lions defense shines when it matters most against the Minnesota Vikings in big Week 18 win

Saying there was doubt with the Detroit Lions defense going into their regular season finale against the Minnesota Vikings would be an understatement. There was a lot of love for the Vikings to come into Detroit, put up points and win this game.

Rightfully, so.

The Vikings were red hot on offense and the Detroit Lions defense allowed 30+ points going in three of their last four games. However, they brought back linebacker Alex Anzalone for this game against the Vikings. With his return, it felt like his presence just changed the way the Lions defense was going to play on Sunday night.

Fortunately, it showed on the field too. Anzalone led the Lions defense with 7 total tackles, one pass deflection and a quarterback hit. Adding to that, we saw impressive sacks from Al-Quadin Muhammad and Za’Darius Smith. Both sacks put the Vikings in long down and distances and ultimately, it contributed to them having to punt.

 

The Lions blitzed Darnold 55.6% of the time on Sunday night. With that, they generated pressured on 48.9% of his dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats. This contributed to the Vikings quarterback going 18-of-41 for 166 yards. Additionally, the Vikings went 0-for-4 in the red zone and Darnold went 2-of-11 for 8 yards in the red zone.

The 43.9% completion percentage for Darnold was his lowest of the season. In his first game against the Lions this season, he completed 81.5% of his passes. Playing a huge part in shutting down the Vikings passing attack was Lions cornerback Amik Robertson.

 

Robertson matched up against one of the best receivers in the league, Justin Jefferson, a total of 15 times. While being targeted 5 times, Jefferson only recorded two receptions for 37 yards against Robertson. The Lions defender finished with five tackles, pass deflection and a game ball from NBC and from Dan Campbell after the game.

In total, the Vikings only gained 262 total yards on offense and 58 of those yards came late in the game after a long run from running back Cam Akers. On 3rd down, the Lions defense forced the Vikings to go 3-for-13 and 0-for-3 on 4th down.

Moving forward, the Lions get a much needed bye week after winning the NFC North and earning the first seed in the NFC. As they await for the results of Wild Card weekend in the NFL, one thing is for sure, the Detroit Lions defense shined when the team needed it most.

Lions snap count notes: Dan Campbell rode his starters heavily vs. Texans

Lions snap count notes: Dan Campbell rode his starters heavily in the Week 10 win over the Houston Texans

Injuries across the Detroit Lions roster forced head coach Dan Campbell to ask a lot of his healthy regular starters, and also more than expected from several reserves. It wasn’t always pretty of confidence-inducing, but the Lions delivered in a thrilling 26-23 comeback win.

The snap counts from Detroit’s Week 10 trip to Houston reveal just how strapped for healthy bodies the Lions were in a few spots. It starts on the defense.

Nine defensive starters played at least 58 of the 68 snaps in the game. That includes five iron men:

Safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch
Linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell
Cornerback Terrion Arnold

Cornerback Carlton Davis missed three plays after leaving briefly with a minor injury.

Linemen Josh Paschal, Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike all played an absurd amount of snaps for big men thanks to the myriad injuries around them. Paschal was on the field for 61 snaps, with McNeill at 59 and Onwuzurike at 58. That’s over 85 percent for each.

In the third LB vs. third CB snap rate–the Lions almost always have one or the other, but not both, on the field–SAM Trevor Nowaske played more than nickel/slot Amik Robertson, 33 to 29.

The Lions only used No. 4 CB Kindle Vildor on three plays–the ones Davis sat out. No other corners played beyond special teams. Joseph and Branch were the only safeties who played. Reserve Brandon Joseph only played on special teams, while rookie Loren Strickland was inactive in Week 10.

On offense, the starting line and QB Jared Goff all played all 65 snaps. Veteran Dan Skipper got the nod at left tackle with Taylor Decker inactive due to a shoulder injury.

Jamarco Jones made his Lions debut with one official snap as an extra tackle (Skipper’s normal role), though he had two other plays that were negated due to penalties. No other linemen played outside of special teams.

The ever-popular running back splits saw Jahmyr Gibbs getting 60 percent of the workload to David Montgomery’s 40 percent. The Lions had one or the other in on every snap, but never played more than one. Gibbs and Montgomery were the only RBs who played on offense, with Craig Reynolds and Sione Vaki very busy on special teams.

Jameson Williams returned from his two-game suspension and quickly resumed his WR2 role. He played 48 of the 65 offensive snaps, followed by Tim Patrick (32), Kalif Raymond (16) and Allen Robinson (4). Third TE Shane Zylstra got 19 snaps, behind Sam LaPorta (39) and Brock Wright (37), showing the Lions’ need for auxiliary blocking with Decker sidelined.

Lions cornerbacks among the best in single coverage in 2024

Lions cornerbacks among the best in single coverage in 2024 and we’ve got the data to prove it

Last season, one of the Achilles heels for the Lions was at the cornerback position. They clearly knew it; hence them drafting two corners to start the draft (Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw) and signing Carlton Davis in free agency. So far, that investment has paid off.

Arnold and Davis, in particular, are currently two of the better cornerbacks when it comes to playing in single coverage this season, according to a chart from Jrfortgang (@throwthedamball on Twitter). Both are playing single coverage at more than a 60% rate (the graph used a minimum of 100 coverage snaps) and both are above average (around -0.33) in terms of their separation grade, which used a scale from -2 to +2.

Davis is second on the team with eight passes defended while Arnold is fourth with five. Both are also among the top five on the team in tackles – Davis has 43, Arnold has 32.

Neither cornerback may be elite right now, but it’s much better play than what they got last season and it’s just one reason why the Lions are 7-1 and in the driver’s seat for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.